The present invention relates to a gelenic composition effective for prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia, and angina pectoris due to ischemia and reperfusion. More specifically, the present invention relates to a galenic composition effective for prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disorders, particularly, angina pectoris due to myocardial ischemia, which contains eight (8) kinds of medicinal herbs consisting of Allium thumbergii, trichosanthis semen, angelicae gigantis radix, salviae radix, cinnamomi ramulus, curcumae tuber, paeoniae rubrae radix and pinelliae rhizoma as the major ingredients.
In many countries, including Korea, which are under gradual Westernization of dietary life and cultural activities, diseases of adult peoples have been raised as one of serious social problems. Among them, particularly, hyperlipidemia which attacks preferentially the middle forties and has been known as a typical type of diseases developed predominantly in advanced countries has also been raised as one of most common diseases of adult peoples. Hyperlipidemia, which has been known as the main cause of arteriosclerosis and as having a deep correlation with angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and cerebral apoplexy, generally means the blood cholesterol level of 240 mg/dl or more, and it has been proposed that blood cholesterol level should be lowered to the normal value below 200 mg/dl. The major constituents of lipid present in blood are generally classified into total cholesterol, which is commonly called cholesterol, neutral fat (triglyceride), low density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein. It has been disclosed that the cause of hyperlipidemia includes heredity, alcohol intake, high fat and high calorie diet, obesity, diabetes, liver functional disorders, thyroid functional disorders and nephritic syndrome.
In general, if hyperlipidemic state is continued, arteriosclerosis may be caused through the pathway that fat plaque is deposited and attached to vascular wall to induce fibrosis and then calcium is deposited thereon. Ultimately, due to such pathway the inside of artery becomes narrower.
As the therapeutic method for treatment of hyperlipidemia, a dietetic treatment has been generally and preferentially selected at present. However, if hyperlipidemic state is not improved by such a dietetic treatment, medicinal drugs such as bile acid-binding resins, nicotinic acid derivatives, pyruvic acid derivatives, probucol, etc. have been used. Recently, HMG CoA reductase inhibitors have been very commonly used as the therapeutic agent for hyperlipidemia. However, any of such medicinal drugs could not provide a satisfactory effect in clinical field as yet.
Cardiovascular system supplies oxygen, nutrients, hormones, etc. necessary for activities of individual organs and tissues and, at the same time, removes waste materials such as carbon dioxide, lactic acid, etc., as produced in respective cells, via blood circulation, thereby allowing the maintenance of normal physiological state in human body. Particularly, heart performs a function as biological circulatory pump by means of its inherent regular contractility to play a decisive role in normal activities of cardiovascular system. Therefore, the abnormality of heart function induces a metabolic disorder of substances present in human body and ultimately, induces a direct disorder of biological phenomenon. Cardiovascular diseases including congestive heart failure, coronary artery disorder, myocardial infarction, hypertension, etc., are a typical disease of adult peoples in modem society and have been raised as a serious social problem since million persons or more in advanced countries annually suffer from such diseases. Particularly, in case of persons managing modem city life, in spite of an increase of interest in prevention and treatment of such cardiovascular diseases, their morbidity is continuously on an increasing trend. Angina pectoris is a kind of cardiagra syndromes originated from transient myocardial ischemia and means a transient cardiagra attack due to coronary insufficiency.
Angina pectoris is a kind of acute coronary insufficiency. Although coronary artery has an ability of sufficiently expanding their lumen, when lumen of blood vessel is narrowed or occluded due to coronary arteriosclerosis, blood flow cannot be increased to the level necessary for cardiac muscle so that cardiac muscle may fall into ischemic state. When such ischemic state of cardiac muscle occurs for a short time, the subjective symptom which may be developed is just angina pectoris. Angina pectoris is characterized by the fact that coronary insufficiency is lasted only for a short period and the unique clinical symptom is only cardiagra attack, and has no objective symptom to make its diagnosis difficult.
At present, when angina pectoris is developed, nitroglycerine is administered via sublingual route. In this case, nitroglycerine is immediately absorbed into mucous membrane to rapidly show its pharmacological activity. Nitro-based agents such as nitroglycerine have a potent activity for dilation of peripheral artery to reduce the preload and postload of heart so that cardiac momentum can be reduced and therefore, the attack of angina pectoris may be lightened and its frequency may also be reduced. Further, nitroglycerine has an activity for dilating collateral circulation of coronary artery to increase the blood flow of coronary artery. However, since nitroglycerine has a little effect on coronary contraction and thus, has a problem that it should be administered together with calcium antagonist.
At present, in order to prevent angina pectoris nitro-based agents are internally administered. However, since such agents do not exhibit sustained activity, recently a sustained release preparation has been used. Further, ointment or tape preparations may also be used so that the active substance can be absorbed into skin. Calcium antagonists have a potent activity of reducing postload of heart and therefore, have also been used as an agent for prevention of angina pectoris. Beta-blocking agents are an agent for reducing cardiac contractility and therefore, can also be used as an agent for prevention of angina pectoris. However, in order to prevent the shift from angina pectoris to myocardial infarction numerous platelet inhibitors should be used, and further if localized stenosis is found by coronary angiography, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty using balloon between aorta and coronary artery, or coronary bypath operation should be practiced. Thus, a satisfactory therapeutic method for angina pectoris has not been developed as yet to impose a heavy economical and time burden on patients.
Thus, the present inventor has assiduously and extensively examined numerous herbal medicines, which have been known as having a little side effect on human body, by combining them in various mixing ratio for a long period, in order to develop a galenic composition useful for treating hyperlipidemia and angina pectoris. As a result, he has found through numerous repeated safety and efficacy tests that a galenic composition having a specific constitution as defined in the following achieves the above-mentioned purpose, and thus completed the present invention.
The present invention relates to a galenic composition effective for prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia, and angina pectoris due to ischemia and reperfusion. More specifically, the present invention relates to a galenic composition effective for prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disorders, particularly, angina pectoris due to myocardial ischemia, which contains eight (8) kinds of medicinal herbs consisting of Allium thumbergii, trichosanthis semen, angelicae gigantis radix, salviae radix, cinnamomi ramulus, curcumae tuber, paeoniae rubrae radix and pinelliae rhizoma as the major ingredients.
The galenic composition comprising above-mentioned eight kinds of medicinal herbs according to the present invention has been demonstrated by experimental result that it is very effective for prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia and angina pectoris due to myocardial ischemia by various actions and mechanisms of respective medicinal herbs constituting the composition. Particularly, it has been identified that when the galenic composition of the present invention is repeatedly administered, it shows a superior inhibitory activity against hyperlipidemia and reduces the level of cholesterol and triglyceride in blood. Further, the galenic composition of the present invention inhibits the damage of heart function which may be caused by ischemia and reperfusion, and therefore, provides a very useful effect for prevention and treatment of angina pectoris due to ischemic cardiac muscle.
Hereinafter, respective medicinal herbs constituting the galenic composition of the present invention will be specifically explained.
Allium thumbergii is a perennial herbal plant which is generally grown in the bush at steep mountain slope and the field. It has been known that Allium thumbergii allows to make the body warm and is effective for dyspepsia, neuralgia, brash, etc.
Trichosanthis semen is a seed of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim belonging to Cucurbitaceae, which is a perennial vinery herbal plant. It has been used as an agent for treatment of diabetes, diuresis, apoplexy, jaundice, tuberculosis, etc.
Angelicae gigantis radix is a root of Angelica gigas Nakai belonging to Apiaceae, which has been generally and widely used in the field of Chinese medicine for treating blood-related diseases, gynecologic diseases including dysmenorrhea and menopause, etc.
Salviae radix is a root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. belonging to Labiatae, which has been known as having a superior effect on extravasated blood, contusion, neuralgia, arthritis, and particularly, gynecologic diseases and dysmenorrhea.
Cinnamomi ramulus is a bark of Cinnamomum loureirii Nees belonging to Lauraceae, which has been used in the field of Chinese medicine for treatment of gastric disorders including diarrhea, vomiting, etc., dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, menorrhalgia, postpartum abdominal pain. Further, it has also been used for chronic furuncle, incurable skin ulcer, scapula dorsalgia, acroarthralgia, etc.
Curcumae tuber is a subterranean stem of Curcumae aromatica Salisb. belonging to Zingiberaceae. It has been widely known that curcumae tuber has a cholagogic effect and an effect of stimulating deintoxication ability of liver.
Paeoniae rubrae radix is a root of Paeonia lactiflora Pallas belonging to Paeoniaceae. In the field of Chinese medicine, paeoniae rubrae radix has been used for stypsis, irritable bowel syndrome, spasm of limbs, abdominal pain, spasm, pain, dizziness, tinnitus, hepatitis, anemia, gynecologic diseases, allergy, inflammation, etc.
Pinelliae rhizoma is a subterranean stem of Pinellia ternate Breitenbach belonging to Araceae, which has been used in the field of Chinese medicine for providing antitussive and antivomiting effects.
In the composition of the present invention, pharmacological activities peculiar to respective eight medicinal herbs as stated above are harmonized and complemented with each other to exhibit a superior effect for prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia and angina pectoris, which can never be obtained by using medicinal herbs individually or in a combination of a part thereof.
In the galenic composition according to the present invention, it is preferred to combine respective medicinal herbs in the ratio of Allium thumbergii 1-10, trichosanthis semen 0.5-6, angelicae gigantis radix 0.5-6, salviae radix 0.5-6, cinnamomi ramulus 0.1-5, curcumae tuber 0.1-5, paeoniae rubrae radix 0. 1-5 and pinelliae rhizoma 0.1-5, on the basis of dry weight.
More preferably, in the galenic composition according to the present invention respective medicinal herbs can be combined in the ratio of Allium thumbergii 3-6, trichosanthis semen 1-4, angelicae gigantis radix 1-4, salviae radix 1-4, cinnamomi ramulus 0.5-3, curcumae tuber 0.5-3, paeoniae rubrae radix 0.5-3 and pinelliae rhizoma 0.5-3, on the basis of dry weight.
In the most preferred galenic composition according to the present invention, respective medicinal herbs can be combined in the ratio of Allium thumbergii:trichosanthis semen:angelicae gigantis radix:salviae radix:cinnamomi ramulus curcumae tuber:paeoniae rubrae radix:pinelliae rhizoma=1.5:0.8:0.8:0.8:0.6:0.6:0.6:0.6, on the basis of dry weight. The above defined mixing ratio of medicinal herbs was established through numerous experiments over several years in consideration of the content and efficacy of effective components contained in respective medicinal herbs. Thus, if the mixing ratio of respective medicinal herbs is beyond the above range, the desired pharmacological effect may not be obtained from the galenic composition of the present invention.
Meanwhile, the galenic composition of the present invention can further contain a white liquor as an adjuvant substance so that respective medicinal herbs can sufficiently exhibit their functions and activities. As the white liquor which can be used in the present invention, one or more selected from the group consisting of Kaoliang wine, clear strained rice wine and refined rice wine can be added, if desired. It is preferred to use the white liquor substance in the same amount as water (distilled water) introduced into the extractor to obtain the extract from the galenic composition.
Although the dosage of the galenic composition of the present invention to be administered to the patients can be varied depending on age, sex, healthy condition of the patient, complications, history of surgical operation, administration frequency, etc., when the composition is administered to healthy adult man (body weight 70 kg) three times a day, the daily dosage as calculated on the basis of the extract of the galenic composition obtained from the extractor is suitably in the range of 200-400 cc, which is divided into three doses and administered within 30 minutes to one hour after breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In using the galenic composition of the present invention for clinical purpose, the composition can be formulated according to the conventional method used in the pharmaceutical field into injections, solutions, pills, tablets, capsules, suspensions. etc. In case of oral administration, the composition can be formulated into granules, powders, etc., or can also be filled in a suitable capsule. It can be preferably administered three times a day, in a dose of 5 to 20 g each time, for healthy adult man.
The present invention is more specifically explained by the following examples. However, it will be apparent to a person having an ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field that these examples are provided only for illustration of the present invention but not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any manner.